Whether DIY forms part of your full-time job or it’s just a weekend passion of yours, every keen craftsman dreams of having the perfect workshop to match your interest – a special place to call your own. We’re not just talking a spare room in the house or a cluttered corner of the garage, here. We’re talking you’re very own building – separate to the house – with all the bells and whistles to go with it. Somewhere you can escape to and work away on your latest project, undisturbed and without distraction. Where you can put all your tools and safety equipment all together (like some safety gloves from unigloves.co.uk for instance). If you’re looking to create your dream workshop, we’ve got some inspirational ideas for you…
The building
First thing’s first, you need to decide exactly where your workshop is going to go. Depending on what DIY you plan on doing, be it woodwork, painting, metalwork or otherwise, you need to make sure you’ve got adequate space. Of course, if you’ve got a garage that isn’t in use for anything else, then it could certainly suffice, but ideally you want a standalone structure, maybe at the bottom of your yard to avoid any noise complaints from those indoors.
Next, you want to consider the structure itself. Do you want a wooden shed? Or something much more sturdy, such as a prefabricated steel building? A lot will depend on which state you’re in and what kind of elements your workshop will have to endure when it comes to the weather.
Storage solutions
Regardless of the size of your workshop, you can have a lot of fun planning out the best way to store all your tools and equipment. Put your DIY skills to the test and build your own overhead shelving into the roof or get a professional onboard to design you some state-of-the-art fitted cupboards and draws.
Build your storage high, from floor to ceiling, so that you make the very most of all the room that you’ve got. You can even have drawers that double as steps to get you up to the highest shelves! Build shelves and drawers under all of your work surfaces and attached additional racks and hooks onto the sides of cabinets and cupboards. You’ll be amazed at how many different storage solutions you can build into a seemingly small space.
Added comforts
Once you’ve got all your essentials in place to make a fully-functioning workshop, it’s time to start thinking about all the added extras that will make it a place you’ll feel comfortable spending hours working away on your projects.
Why not create a ‘comfort corner’? It can feature a comfy seat to relax in when you’re taking a break or looking for some inspiration, a small fridge for keeping some cold drinks and snacks and maybe even a coffee machine to keep you fuelled as you work. If plumbing and space will allow, what’s stopping you getting a sink or even a washroom installed too?
Finishing touches
Finally, it’s time to add the finishing touches to complete the look of your workshop and make it unique to you. Hang some vintage signs and artwork on the walls, make some bespoke coat hooks using spare tools or pipes from your collections and get some speakers set up to listen to your favourite tunes while you work. Get a feature clock hung where you can see it from your workbench and why not add some plants on the shelves to bring a bit of the outdoors inside? All of these little extras will help make your dream workshop a place that you’ll love spending time in, be it for business or pleasure.
So, there you have it. Hopefully now you’ve got plenty of inspiration for how to turn your workshop into your dream space. And, if there’s anyone who’s got the skills and drive to make it happen, it’s you – so time to get to work!